“And what if he still returns early?”

Allistair smiled slightly. “Unless he returns within the next hour or so, it will not matter. Once Greenweld takes the men in through the passage, we shall have succeeded.”

“Ah, yes. The passage.”

Allistair frowned at her sudden smile. “What amuses ye so about the passage?”

“Naught, my lord. Except that if nothing else does, it shall surely see you hanged.”

Allistair stilled at that.

“I presume the passage is a secret? Known only among close family?” she queried gently and smiled at his expression. Janna’s not knowing about the tunnel leading out of the castle had made her wonder. That and the fact that no one had mentioned it to her. The dismay on his face confirmed her belief that only close, trusted members of the family knew of the passage, and she nodded. “I realized that on the way through the tunnel. And that is why I was not surprised to see you in the clearing. Duncan is away, as are Seonaid and your sister, and Angus is within the walls, doing his best to defend it. None of them could have revealed the presence of the passage. If close family are all who know of it—”

“Then the only suspect left would be ye.”

Both of them whirled toward the tent entrance at those hollow words. Iliana was as stunned as Allistair to see Duncan standing there flanked by two men. One of them was Ian McInnes, Iliana did not recognize the other man, but he wore English clothes.

“Surprised to see me?” he asked dryly when both of them continued to stare at him as if he was a ghost.

Allistair’s expression tightened. “Greenweld’s men?”

“Gave up without a battle once surrounded by McInnes men, ours, and those of their own king.”

“The king?”

Duncan nodded. “He had men watching Greenweld from the moment he received Lady Wildwood’s message. When news reached him that Greenweld had headed north in pursuit of Lady Wildwood, he sent a regiment after him. They arrived on the border of Dunbar land just as we returned from that wild goose chase ye would have sent us on.”

“How did ye ken—”

“That ’twas a ruse? We came across the Campbells on our way north. They had just come from a rather entertaining evening sharing a fire with my wayward sister, Lord Rolfe, and Sherwell. On hearing the tale, I realized the message had been a ruse and we had left Dunbar unmanned. We returned at once, collected the Inneses on the way, and met up with the king’s men, who affirmed my worries. As I said, Greenweld’s men have surrendered. Only Greenweld remains to be found.”